Feather Light
by ElesaryAyres
Summary: Angel is in love. His name is Mars and he is so beautiful. But she can't read his mind, and wont tell her where he got his wings. Can she trust him? Or is she going to betray the Flock yet again?
1. Chapter 1

Angel

Wednesday, January 29

2:39 PM

The bell rang, scattering school children like a flock of pigeons before an ally cat. All the good children released for the day. _And some of the bad ones too,_ I mused, reading the thoughts of a few of my peers. Lots of sex and alcohol and casual cruelty. _And it isn't even Friday. _

I furtively looked around and saw Gazzy making his way toward Nudge and Iggy, who were frantically making out against the lockers, much to my poor brothers discomfort. But Ella was standing there, too, looking just as uncomfortable, and where there's an Ella, there is a Gazzy.

None of them saw me as I ducked my head and allowed myself to be swallowed by the crowd moving away from them. I had other plans.

He was waiting for me by the bleachers, his name was Mars and he was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, except for maybe the way I saw Max when I looked through Fangs eyes. His eyes were deep and blue, his hair was fine and wavy and black. He was tall and graceful with light skin stretched over prominent cheekbones and long fingers. And he was waiting for me.

He nodded, but didn't speak as I approached. I was beginning to appreciate Max's struggle with nonverbal Fang, seeing as Mars wasn't keen on sharing and I couldn't read his mind, no matter how hard I tried.

And boy had I tried.

He reached out his hand and I grasped it, feeling the familiar heat sizzle through my body. Then I looked around furtively and we jumped strait up together, our wings opening with a snap as they caught wind and sent us soaring straight up into the air.

We gained elevation as fast as we could until we were high enough to be mistaken as a pair of birds. I wished this wasn't necessary, I would have loved to see through someone's eyes how good we looked together, my wings snow white and his as black as Fangs. We flew until we reached the cliffs on the coast. We circled once, twice, three times before settling on a bluff that overlooked the ocean.

He sat down next to me and wrapped his wing around me for warmth. I leaned against him and inhaled his scent.

My stomach growled loudly, reminding me I hadn't eaten since lunch. I flushed and glanced at Mars, hoping he hadn't heard. His face remained neutral, but he reached into his bag and handed me a sandwich. I blushed brighter, of course he had heard.

"Thanks," I muttered, his eyes twinkled and his lips twitched as he pulled me closer to his body, getting his own second lunch.

I glanced at him again; it bothered me a little that I couldn't read his mind. How was I supposed to be sure of who he was? How had he gotten his wings? Was he sent here to infiltrate the flock? I was done being the bad girl, and even though I was pretty I was halfway in love with him, I wasn't sure I trusted him.

"What's wrong, Angel?" he asked, making me shiver. I loved the way he said my name, like it was an endearment.

I couldn't let it distract me, though.

I pulled away to look him in the eye. "Mars, you still haven't told me how you got your wings."

His face suddenly shut down and I felt a sick flutter of fear somewhere in my stomach. "I just mean-" I struggled to cover my track so he would stop looking at me with such disappointment.

"You don't get to ask me that, Angel." He cut me off and my name no longer whispered across my soul. "I told you this the first time we met, and I have done nothing to make you distrust me, and yet you do."

He shook his head and shoved me away from him. He stood up and flew away. "WAIT!" I cried, needing him to come back so I could explain how I had almost torn my family apart more than once and I could never do that again.

But he was gone, nothing but a fleck in the sky. I wondered if I would ever see him again, or if he would vanish as easily as we usually did.

The hurt clogged my throat and I through I half eaten sandwich over the edge of the cliff._ It was dry anyway. _I watched it fall apart as it fluttered down, the bread falling slower than the meat.

I shook my head and leapt over the cliff myself, refusing to open my wings until I could see distinct grains of sand, then I opened them wide and headed home. Home to my family and my bed and acceptance, even though I had betrayed them. I flew to the place where I could get over my hurt and anger.


	2. Chapter 2

Mars

Wednesday, February 18

10:59 PM

I'd thought that I could do it; I'd thought that I was strong enough to leave Angel behind. But I obviously wasn't.

"Angel!" I hissed, pulling her window open from the outside where I was hovering. She was lying on her stomach on her pink bed, a magazine open in front of her. She made no move to let me in, merely stared at me reproachfully. But she didn't cry for help, which I took as a good sign.

It would have been better for them both if she had cried for help, or attacked him, and he had found someone else with her in her room. Any of those things would have made him angry enough to leave, for good this time.

And she really needed him to be gone from her life, even if she didn't know it.

"Mars," Angel finally said, rolling to her feet gracefully and approaching me. She threw her arms around me. "I am so happy to see you!"

I couldn't help but hug her back. She fit so perfectly against my chest. She looked up at me, and for a moment, I almost kissed her.

"I'm sorry," she said, staring into my eyes. "I shouldn't have pushed you like that. It isn't fair for you. I'm just not used to not knowing what people are thinking, and it makes me uncomfortable. Its one of the many things about myself that I'm trying to fix."

My hands cupped her face by their own volition. Her cheeks were soft against my thumbs as I stroked them. "You." I told her "Have nothing to apologize for."

She wasn't like me, wasn't causing pain to the people I cared about with every decision I made.

But I couldn't worry about that now, not when she smelled so good and her lips were so close to mine.

I closed the distance between us with a groan, and then her lips were on my lips and they were _so soft_.

I never wanted to stop kissing her.

From somewhere far away I heard the door open, and a shocked gasp. Something shattered on the floor.

"Nudge!" Angel gasped, pulling away from me.

Angels adopted sister stood in the doorway, her face a mask of shock, a puddle of hot chocolate was radiating around her from the shards of a mug.

Their eyes met for a moment, then Nudge turned and ran out of the room with a squeak.

Angel turned to me with an anxious look. "I have to- to go and-" she gestured after her friend. I pulled her in for another hard kiss before releasing her and throwing myself out of her window.

It was probably for the better. She didn't want to know where I was going. I didn't want to know what I was about to do.

The night was crisp and cool and perfect for flying. I reached the warehouse far sooner than I would've hoped, but it was long enough to hate myself with every flap of my wings. _Just a job_, I reminded myself as I settled on the roof and made my way downstairs.

The scientists were waiting on the ground floor. I perched on one of the beams, high above their reach. "I want to see him!" I called. "I wont say anything until I see that he's okay!"

The scientists looked up at me, their beady eyes cold and calculating. One of them nodded and barked out an order. One of them walked to the side of the warehouse and pulled a sheet off of a cage. Huddled inside was the figure of my little brother.

"Ansel!" I called, diving down next to him.

"Mars?" he asked, baby eyes wide; he stretched his hand through the bars to grip mine. I squeezed warmth into his cold digits and glared around me.

"What do you want to know?"


End file.
